Mata Hari

PRONUNCIATION:

(MA-tuh HAR-ee, MAT-uh HAR-ee)

MEANING:

noun: A seductive woman who works as a spy.

ETYMOLOGY:

After exotic dancer Mata Hari, a stage name of Margaretha Geertruida Zelle
(1876-1917). She was a Dutch woman, who took a Malay name, allegedly spied for
the Germans, and was executed by the French. Her stage name Mata Hari means
sun, literally "eye of the day", from Malay mata (eye) + hari (day, dawn).
Earliest documented use: 1936.

USAGE:

"In London, Sophia joins the war effort ... and embarks upon improbable
espionage escapades, hoping to come off as a Mata Hari in furs and
printed chiffon."
Liesl Schillinger; The Persistence of Levity; Newsweek (New York);
Sep 20, 2013.